Baking Soda is a Super Household Aid

Saturday, October 02, 2010 by: Alice E. Marson
Tags: baking soda, household, health news

(NewsTarget) Baking soda is a white crystalline powder, known as bicarbonate of soda or chemically known as sodium bicarbonate, and is very versatile and effective, yet gentle, environmentally safe, inexpensive and an economical non-toxic compound. It can be used as a more environmentally friendly replacement for many harsher chemicals. It has such a wide variety of uses in relation to cleaning, cooking, safety, plumbing, personal care products, and industrial uses.

The ancient Egyptians first mined the natural product called natron, which contains mostly sodium bicarbonate. The Egyptians used the mixture as a cleansing agent such as soap. It was not until 1791 in France that Nicolas Leblanc, a French chemist, artificially manufactured sodium bicarbonate as we know it today.
The colonists brought baking soda to America from England. However, it was not produced in the U.S. until 1839, but in 1846, Austin Church, a Connecticut physician, and John Dwight, a Massachusetts farmer, established a factory in New York to manufacture baking soda.

The versatility of baking soda is unsurpassed; it can be used in many areas both inside and outside the house. The following provides a few popular uses:

Fire retardant- baking soda can be used to extinguish oil and electrical fires.
Deodorizer- a box of baking soda in your refrigerator will help to neutralize strong odors. It can also be used to wash out and deodorize garbage cans, and it also controls undesirable odors in the bottom of your dishwasher.
Desiccant- baking soda is a drying agent and can remove excess moisture from your refrigerator, cupboards and wardrobe.
Stain remover- apply a thin paste of baking soda to stains prior to washing - even blood stains.

Degreaser- apply baking soda on grease or oil patches on cement floors or driveways, or on stovetops and barbecue grills.

Blocked or sluggish drains- place a cup of baking soda in the drain followed by a cup of warm vinegar.

Cooking/baking- baking soda is a leavening agent which reacts with acid compounds causing dough to rise. In cooking it acts to neutralize acids, breaks down protein, and tenderizes also.
Cleaning- baking soda cleans bathrooms, carpets, kitchens, glass, ovens, walls and mirrors.

Personal care- baking soda can be used on sunburn, insect bites, dentures, sore throats, acid indigestion, and shampooing.
Insecticide/herbicide- repels ants and roaches. It can be used to kill many weeds.

Baking soda has been a household staple for nearly 200 years.

www.answers.com/topic/baking soda
www.encyclopedia.com/topic/baking_soda.aspx
www.armhammer.com/history/owhistory.asp
www.bookrags.com/research/baking-soda-woi

About the author

Alice E. Marson is a natural health published author and researcher. She is a retired teacher and writes for Mature Living and ActiveAmericans.com mainly on health topics.
As a breast cancer survivor she is a strong believer in natural and alternative medicine and avoiding prescription drugs.
Alice has given public and TV presentations on toxic products in the home.